Our Town Inagi 2022: Akiko Ikeuchi

Creating works using silk threads, attracting attention worldwide!!

Mr. Ikeuchi, who is from Inagi, is creating works using silk threads and is attracting attention worldwide. When asked about his memories of Sakahama, where he spent his childhood, he recalled, "I remember making handmade banners for the first rice planting festival and dedicating them to the local Inari shrine, as well as wandering along the paths of the rice fields, playing grass flutes, and being fascinated by the mysterious sight of water bubbling up, which never looked the same twice. I also have vivid memories of festival days like the bonfire and children's portable shrines, when the usual town sparkled and transformed into a sacred and special atmosphere."
The representative work that Mr. Ikeuchi expresses, having spent such a childhood, involves stretching silk threads throughout the space, tying, cutting, and suspending them. The suspended threads gradually change color with light, sway with the movement of air, and expand and contract with humidity. When a person approaches to see, the threads sway, and they loosen downward due to the moisture in the person's breath. When the person leaves the area, the gentle swaying calms down, and the tension is restored, causing the threads to rise again. These delicate changes are the charm of Mr. Ikeuchi's works.

Encounter with Silk Thread Art

When I asked Mr. Ikeuchi about the inspiration for starting to create with silk thread, he said, "I became interested in the thread used to support the works I exhibited during my university days. Among various threads such as natural and synthetic fibers, I started using silk thread because it has a high affinity with people and is an interesting material when considering human connections." Regarding the challenges in creation, he mentioned, "It is very difficult to express the images that appear in my mind. However, I find it rewarding to create works while considering the weight, gravity, and tension of the thread." When I inquired about his future goals, he expressed, "I want to face expression every day. I also want to deepen my research on the relationship between people and space."

Mr. Ikeuchi's work "Knotted Thread-red-φ18cm-φ360cm" 2016-2017 exhibited at gallery21yo-j
Photographed by Shizune Shiiki